In order to void environmental pollution and an energy shortage, the application of clean and renewable energy, such as solar, instead of fossil fuel is foreseen as a prospective issue. It is urgent and important to develop and optimize various energy storage and conversion technologies and materials aimed at utilization of different clean energy sources. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), a new class of porous crystalline materials, act as an outstanding candidate in this field based on their high surface areas, controllable structures and excellent electrochemical properties. Here, selected recent and significant advances in the development of MOFs for clean energy applications are reviewed, and special emphases are shown to the applications of MOFs as platforms for hydrogen production and storage, fuel cells, Li-ion rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors and solar cells.